11.30.2009

What feels like a never-ending string of UN committees and conferences have kept us close to home these past few weeks, but before the real deluge of meetings, we slipped away for a morning at the hot springs followed by a lakeside lunch.

It seemed like the perfect morning for a long soak in some hot sulfury water. It was early on a sunday morning complete with the first real chill of the season and a gray drizzly sky.

The place was deserted!

Despite the quizzical looks the staff pulled back the tarp on the small covered pool and we settled in.Soon the sun burned through the mist and it was nearing lunchtime, so we decided to head to Trevignano, one of the nearby lakeside towns.

We snagged the last unreserved table at a Gambero Rosso recommendation La Locanda del Gusto just across the street from the lake.

It is a small restaurant with clean sleek lines and bright modern art and a wall filled with wine. The creative blackboard menu offered modern of roman classics. Some of what we ate included a mediterranean sushi, salmon carpaccio with ground coriander, cacio e pepe with cicoria mixed in. Dessert was a deconstructed mille fiulle and a decadent chocolate slice with an assortment of local organic jams.After lunch, the sun was shining, the neighborhood bocce match was on, a few market stalls were set up along the lakeshore. A perfect Sunday escape.

10.28.2009

We are planning a short trip to Cape Town scheduled during dark mid-winter here in Rome...which is delightful, steamy, summer there!

I am so looking forward to re-visiting one of my favorite spots in Africa. Now usually when we went to South Africa from Zimbabwe it was vacation mixed with a long list of things that had to be done/purchased and lugged back...doctors visits, car and plumbing parts, groceries ( I had mastered the art of the last minute woolworths run before the airport to fill a cooler with milk, cheese, fresh pasta, etc...) This trip will be pure pleasure, beach, food, wine and shopping (NOT for car parts!!)

This is very requested mish-mash of a list is compiled from many trips over many years and was primarily geared to those travelling from Zimbabwe...

Fairlady and Femina are the two women’s magazines, House & Garden, House and Lesuire. and Food&Home - Entertaining are the décor magazines…all will have great articles on where to go, eat, shop…Heat and You are the South African version of people…essential beach and plane reading…

Don’t be scared by restaurants in malls…because of security this is often where they are (more in joburg, then Durban and Cape Town the least of all)

Cape Town is probably even busier than Durban at Christmastime…again, book now even if you think you might cancel…as a point of reference…we used to book in august

Sea Point – there was not much of anything to see and do here and had a slightly seedy quality - but with the world cup stadium nearby it has probably changed quite a bit…

Long Street – very busy and loud at night…boutiques and antiques and bead shops in the daytime…all kinds of nightlife to choose from…The Ice Shop near the top – fabulous ice cream in chocolate dipped cones! Candace at icon villas’s has been very helpful with accomdation…

Greenmarket square – African craft market in the middle with the usual…chic boutiques and coffee shops on surrounding streets…antique stalls are also often set up around here

Five Flies – Keerom street (we stayed in a top floor apartment in the building right next door) Very, very good fancy restaurant…5 stars

Olive Green Cat…there is a ring here I am still thinking about…have even written and tried to figure out a way to get it Rome…100 shortmarket steet, heritage square

Kloof Street is a great ½ a day…start at Vida e Caffé and walk up the hill…lunch at Melissa’s (no. 94) is a must…Heartworks next door to Melissa's, is a charming crafty shop filled with treasures that are all income generating projects…totally guilt free shopping

Waterfront – a little touristy – but I guess that’s the point! shops, restaurants, movies (art house theatre is downstairs) seals….I love to sit on a bench in the sun in the afternoon and watch the cloud come over the mountain.

About 45 minutes from Cape Town…charming and stunningly beautiful winemaking village

We stayed in a place called The Cottagescholtz@scholtz.wcape.school.za 021-876-2392…a 1-room cottage in a very nice young couple’s back garden…very affordable and you can walk to town. (this was a while ago….try safari.com if they are no longer reachable)

I have always wanted to have a meal/stay at Klein Oliphants…a young couple…open kitchen…rave reviews from people I have sent there.

Haute Cabriere – one of my favorite south African wines/champagnes (pinot noir and brut) on Saturdays the owner gives a champagne making tour – the Patrick Mavros of the wine world – very entertaining!!.

The French Connection – a new bistro style restaurant…has a glass walled kitchen…the kids can watch the chefs…

Boschendal – book ahead for the pique-nique – sit outside under the mountains and have a lazy, boozy lunch…

Rueben’s – we have never managed a reservation ….so I guess that tells you something…

the new Moyo restaurant (no relation to local’s of same name ) is an amazing experience…it’s in the village at Spier in wine country….you sit under tents and have a multi-course food and wine feast…book a treehouse table…about ½ hour/ 45 min out of town

Spier is also quite fun…you can take a steam train out to the estate…there is something for everyone…a cheetah rescue, raptors, horse riding, wine tasting, playground…

The Maharaniis the glam sailboat cruise we took… r350 a person…we took the sunset cruise on new years day…non-stop cocktails and half way through you anchor and have oysters and cheese and snacky things…this was one of the coolest things we have done in cape town…the boat is next to the Victoria and Albert hotel…082-650-1199 John Leslie

If you feel like a drive…about 130k west (on the r27 past bloubergstrand) is a restaurant experience called Die Strandloper (22-772-2490)…in langebaan…amazing…it’s like 19 courses…you sit on stone picnic tables on the beach and the food never stops…mussels and grilled fish and the best bread ever…it ends with a crayfish braii about 3 hours after you started…well worth the drive…if you do head that way…Darling is very quaint and Groot Post has some really nice wines and picnics…in Darling we stayed a Trinity guest house…very relaxing…a must see is the comedy/cabaret by Afrikaans drag queen Pieter Dirk Uys…side splitting

Fairview in Paarl has very good wine with a great sense of humor! There are goats roaming in a tower at the entrance….they make incredible cheese…there is a café where you can have a salady lunch and try all the cheeses and wines…very good bread

Waterkant is cute...haven't stayed there but have walked around...very cool little shopping area right there...check out the apartment we stayed in in camps bay, www.c-life.co.za lloyd perry is the contact

This last trip the coolest thing we did was a wine and chocolate tasting - unbelievable!!! do not miss this - at Waterford Estate near Stellenbosch...and make sure you buy the whole thing to bring home!!! we are still talking about it...

The Twelve Apostles...to Azure the fancy place - lovely meal, incredible wine guy, ZERO attitude... also do a picnic you can have on the grounds...groovy cocktail bar upstairs…also have a small movie theatre and meal package…

Manna - up at the top of kloof street...all white décor, gourmet sandwiches and drinks (green tea pear juice)...don't go home without a jar of milk jam and a visit to the bathroom!

4.27.2009

A few weeks ago we were headed for a late morning dip at terme di papi and all the exits were blocked by fierce looking gardia di finanzia and carbinieri. It turned out there was nothing nefarious happening, just a bike race...but that still meant we had about an hour before the road to the hot springs would be open again.

1.12.2009

What's a Beach Lover to do in the Winter?It is no secret that I am a beach girl, so it has taken me a while to warm up the idea of activities that don't involve the sea and sand. In recent weeks, we have been exploring up into the hills and away from the sea.